Dish rack with removable grate

ABSTRACT

A countertop dish rack has a compact unitary body holding a flat-panel grate, utensil holders, a funnel and a drainage tray. The unitary body is configured with a portion of approximately planar solid material, such as plastic. A recessed central portion holds the flat-panel grate and drainage funnel both located below the top surface of the unitary body. Hand hold recesses are located on the left side and right side of the unitary body. The funnel discharges water to a removable drainage tray. The utensil holders are removable and are supported within the flat-panel grate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/467,266, filed 16 MAY 2009, which in turn claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/095,944, filed 10 SEP. 2008. Bothof these applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

In the field of support racks, a device to support a culinary plateduring drying subsequent to washing.

BACKGROUND ART

Wire rack dish racks for use on a countertop are widely known and theseserve to present a wire frame structure that does not retain drip water.For example, a recent example is United States Patent Application20090211994, which describes a wire rack and extendable drip tray.

Some inventions employ novel water channeling components. For exampleU.S. Pat. No. 7,325,695 discloses a dish rack with water drainagechannel and spout under the wire mesh to direct drip water into a sink.

Other known dish racks employ a water collection drawer. For example,U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,134 teaches an expandable dish rack that contains adrawer-like water collection tray within and in the bottom of the dishrack.

Yet none of the prior art describes a compact, solid form dish rack witha flat-panel grate, easily removable utensil cups, easily cleaned in adishwasher, and with hand holds to enable easy carriage of a filled dishrack to a new location.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A countertop dish rack has a compact unitary body holding a flat-panelgrate, utensil holders, a drainage funnel and a drainage tray. Theunitary body is not a wire formed container, but rather has a topsurface, a front face, a rear face, a right side and a left side eachconfigured with a portion of approximately planar solid material, suchas plastic. The unitary body is configured such that the top surfacedefines an approximate horizontal plane with a recessed central portionthat holds the flat-panel grate and funnel. Hand hold recesses arelocated on the left side and right side of the unitary body to enablesecure carrying of a loaded dish rack. A drawer opening on the frontface of the unitary body enables insertion and removal of the drainagetray. The drainage funnel may be molded as part of the unitary body ormay be an insertable, separate component within the recessed centralportion of the unitary body. In both cases, the drainage funnel receiveswater draining from the flat-panel grate, located immediately above thefunnel within the recessed central portion of the unitary body and belowthe top surface of the unitary body. The utensil holders are removableand are supported within the flat-panel grate.

Technical Problem

Wire frame countertop dish racks are large, complicated, unsightly,costly, difficult to clean, and difficult to move when filled withdishes.

Solution to Problem

A small, compact, closed body, inexpensive and easily movable dish rackwith a removable flat-plate grate solves the problems with existing dishracks. The components of the present invention, especially, the uniqueflat-plate grate, can be easily removed and cleaned in a dishwasher.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

This invention has advantages in that it takes up a minimum ofcountertop space; it collects the drip water in an inconspicuous drawer;it is relatively inexpensive when made with a sturdy dishwasher-safeplastic; it can be easily disassembled and the components cleaned in adishwasher; and it is easily carried when full to a new location. Theunique flat-plate grate that holds and drains dishes in an uprightposition can be easily removed and placed in a dish slot in adishwasher. This makes it convenient to regularly clean it of any moldor contamination resulting from the presence of drip water from extendeduse.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The drawings show preferred embodiments of a countertop dish rackcomprising the invention and the reference numbers in the drawings areused consistently throughout. New reference numbers in FIG. 2 are giventhe 200 series numbers. Similarly, new reference numbers in eachsucceeding drawing are given a corresponding series number beginningwith the figure number.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a left-side elevation of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a rear-side elevation of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of the unitary body of an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the unitary body of an embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the removable drainage funnel in an embodimentof the invention.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part hereof and which illustrate severalembodiments of the present invention. The drawings and the preferredembodiments of the invention are presented with the understanding thatthe present invention is susceptible of embodiments in many differentforms and, therefore, other embodiments may be utilized and structural,and operational changes may be made, without departing from the scope ofthe present invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in perspective in FIG.1 and in elevation views in FIGS. 3 and 4. It is a countertop dish rack(100) comprising a unitary body (110), a removable drainage tray (120),a flat-panel grate (130), and two or more removable utensil holders(140). An alternative preferred embodiment includes a removable drainagefunnel (850), as shown in FIG. 8.

The preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 first comprises a unitary body(110). The unitary body (110) has a top surface (104), a front face(101), a rear face (401), a right side (102) and a left side (302), anda drainage funnel (650).

The top surface (104), the front face (101), the rear face (401), theright side (102) and the left side (302) each comprise a portion ofapproximately planar solid material, preferably a sturdy, moldedplastic.

The unitary body (110) is configured such that the top surface (104)defines an approximate horizontal plane. The top surface (104) ofunitary body (110) defines a recessed central portion (204), as shown bythe arrows in FIG. 2.

The unitary body (110) is further configured such that the left side(302) and the right side (102) each define a hand hold (103) between thefront face (101) and the rear face (401) and situated below the topsurface (104). The left side (302) and the right side (102) arepreferably mirror images of each other.

The unitary body (110) is further configured such that the front face(101) defines an opening (203) for the removable drainage tray (120).The opening (203) is situated between the right side (102) and the leftside (302), preferably centered and at the bottom of the unitary body(110).

The unitary body (110) also comprises a drainage funnel (650), shown inFIGS. 6 and 7. The drainage funnel (650) is preferably molded as asingle piece with the unitary body (110). Alternatively, the inventionmay include a removable drainage funnel (850) as a separate component.Whether a removable drainage funnel (850) is a separate component asshown in FIG. 8, or the drainage funnel (650) is a molded integral partof the unitary body (110) as shown in FIG. 6, it is positioned withinthe recessed central portion (204) of the unitary body (110) at aposition recessed below the top surface (104) of the unitary body (110)in a configuration that enables it to receive water draining into therecessed central portion (204) of the unitary body (110) through theflat-panel grate (130). The drainage funnel (650), as shown in FIG. 6,or the removable drainage funnel (850), as shown in FIG. 8, isconfigured to discharge water through a hole (651 and 851, respectively)positioned near the front face (101) so that water can flow into theremovable drainage tray (120).

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the unitary body (110). This viewshows the bottom of the drainage funnel (650), which is the sameconfiguration when the countertop dish rack (100) includes a removabledrainage funnel (850). A stop (720) is positioned to limit the depth ofinsertion of the removable drainage tray (120). The stop (720) ispreferable contoured to match the shape of the removable drainage tray(120).

The preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 next comprises a removabledrainage tray (120) configured to receive water from the drainage funnel(650). In an alternative embodiment, the removable drainage tray (120)is similarly configured to receive water from the removable drainagefunnel (850). The removable drainage tray (120) includes a handle (122)that protrudes from front face (101) in a configuration that creates aline of sight (122) to a water level within the removable drainage tray(120) when the removable drainage tray (120) is fully inserted into theunitary body (110). This line of sight (122) permits a convenient andeasy determination of when the removable drainage tray (120) needs to beemptied.

As shown in FIG. 2, the removable drainage tray (120) is preferably amolded plastic drawer with a built in handle that promotes ease ofinsertion into the unitary body (110) and ease of retraction when it isdesired to empty the water in the removable drainage tray (120).

The removable drainage tray (120) is configured to fit under the hole(651 or 851) in the drainage funnel (650) or the removable drainagefunnel (850), respectively. Preferably, the removable drainage tray(120) rests on a countertop. Upon carriage of the countertop dish rack(100) to a new location, the removable drainage tray (120) would becarried separately to the new location. This ensures that any water inthe removable drainage tray (120) will not be inadvertently spilled.Alternatively, the removable drainage tray (120) may also be configuredwith lip extensions or supports on its left and right sides to engageside shelves within the opening (203) in the unitary body (110), whichwould enable retention of the removable drainage tray (120) in theunitary body (110) upon carriage of the countertop dish rack (100) to anew location.

The preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 next comprises a flat-panelgrate (130) configured to rest on the drainage funnel (650) or theremovable drainage funnel (850) below the top surface of the unitarybody (110). As shown in FIG. 5, a preferred flat-panel grate (130) has aseries of holes (510) on both sides of slots (520) contoured at each endto hold dishes, preferably aligned from the front face (101) to the rearface (401). The flat-panel grate (130) is configured with two ports(231) in the flat-panel grate (130). The ports (231) are configured tosupport the utensil holders (140). The flat-panel grate (130) ispreferable less than about an inch and a quarter in thickness, that isfrom top to bottom, so that it can easily fit between the dish supportprongs in many dishwashers. Larger thicknesses for the flat-panel grate(130) would also fit between dishwasher prongs for pots or pans, whichare typically about 2.5 inches apart with a fold down capability toaccommodate even larger pots or pans.

The preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 next comprises a two or moreremovable utensil holders (140) configured to be supported within theflat-panel grate (130). There are preferably two removable utensilholders (140). The removable utensil holders (140) are preferablyconfigured with a recessed bottom segment (241) to fit into the ports(231) in the flat-panel grate (130).

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the countertop dish rack (100) showingreinforcing ribs (910) spaced about the perimeter of the unitary body(110). These reinforcing ribs (910) add strength and stability to thecountertop dish rack (100) when the unitary body (110) is made ofplastic.

The above-described embodiments including the drawings are examples ofthe invention and merely provide illustrations of the invention. Otherembodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Thus, the scopeof the invention is determined by the appended claims and their legalequivalents rather than by the examples given.

1. A countertop dish rack comprising: a unitary body comprising a topsurface, a front face, a rear face, a right side, a left side, and adrainage funnel: wherein the top surface, the front face, the rear face,the right side and the left side each comprise a portion ofapproximately planar solid material; wherein the unitary body isconfigured such that the top surface defines an approximate horizontalplane with a recessed central portion; wherein the unitary body isfurther configured such that the drainage funnel receives water draininginto the recessed central portion of the unitary body; wherein theunitary body is further configured such that the left side and the rightside each define a hand hold between the front face and the rear faceand situated below the top surface; and, wherein the unitary body isfurther configured such that the front face defines an opening for aremovable drainage tray, said opening situated between the right sideand the left side; a removable drainage tray configured to receive waterfrom the drainage funnel; a flat-panel grate configured to rest on thedrainage funnel below the top surface of the unitary body; and, aplurality of removable utensil holders configured to be supported withinthe flat-panel grate.
 2. The countertop dish rack of claim 1 wherein theremovable drainage tray is configured with a handle that protrudes fromfront face creating a line of sight to a water level within theremovable drainage tray when the removable drainage tray is fullyinserted into the unitary body.
 3. A countertop dish rack comprising: aunitary body comprising a top surface, a front face, a rear face, aright side and a left side: wherein the top surface, the front face, therear face, the right side and the left side each comprise a portion ofapproximately planar solid material; wherein the unitary body isconfigured such that the top surface defines an approximate horizontalplane with a recessed central portion; wherein the unitary body isfurther configured such that the left side and the right side eachdefine a hand hold between the front face and the rear face and situatedbelow the top surface; and, wherein the unitary body is furtherconfigured such that the front face defines an opening for a removabledrainage tray, said opening situated between the right side and the leftside; a removable drainage funnel: configured to fit within the centralportion of the unitary body at a position recessed below the top surfaceof the unitary body; and, configured to receive water draining into therecessed central portion of the unitary body; a removable drainage trayconfigured to receive water from the removable drainage funnel; aflat-panel grate configured to rest on the removable drainage funnelbelow the top surface of the unitary body; and, a plurality of removableutensil holders configured to be supported within the flat-panel grate.4. The countertop dish rack of claim 3 wherein the removable drainagetray is configured with a handle that protrudes from front face creatinga line of sight to a water level within the removable drainage tray whenthe removable drainage tray is fully inserted into the unitary body.